Google and Mastercard Cut Ad Deal to Track Retail Sales

Post by lotsofpulp » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:30 AM UTC

rapnie wrote: post #166

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

However, you have other problems: If you have an account, or even a consistent shipping address, Amazon knows what you're buying. So you'd need to anonymize where you're shipping packages to, the names on those packages, and you'd need to register new Amazon accounts regularly with new email addresses to avoid them profiling your purchasing habits.

This makes me wonder if there is a business model for 'anonymous proxy' companies, where you do the shopping at your favourite online webshops, but handle actual ordering, payment and final delivery to your home via the proxy company, who guarantee your privacy for a small additional fee, or subscription charge. Maybe this exists already. The difficulty would be in offering a good usability (how do you get that Amazo…

Post by tracker1 » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:34 AM UTC

ilove_banh_mi wrote: post #4

mtmail wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article "The company said people can opt out of ad tracking using Google’s “Web and App Activity” online console. Inside Google, multiple people raised objections that the service did not have a more obvious way for cardholders to opt out of the tracking, one of the people said."

I did read the article. That's discovering that someone is stalking you, until and unless you tell them you'd rather "opt out" even though you never "opted in" the evil stalking. Meanwhile, all shops and businesses you get near to or purchase from are calling the stalker to let him know what you're doing -- how do you "opt out" of these?

Post by lotsofpulp » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:43 AM UTC

rathish_g wrote: post #152

I am lost? How will they track a sale with the credit card data? Without the store's invoice data, how can they link credit card transaction it back to a product?

Post by HohPum1l » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:46 AM UTC

basicplus2 wrote: post #198

foepys wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funnily enough, Google Pay (and Apple Pay even earlier) is doing exactly that [1]. The merchant is only seeing a token that will be connected to the actual card number in the credit card network. Google is now closing the circle to get to know exactly what was bought - blowing all privacy advantages away. 1: https://support.google.com/pay/merchants/answer/6345242?hl=e...

And removing the oportunity for the retailer to collect info on who shops in their stores...

Post by wiz21c » Fri, Aug 31, 2018, 9:56 AM UTC

i1856511 wrote: post #94

noelsusman wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your only option is to refuse cards altogether because they've all been selling anonymized data on you for years. The big hedge funds pay big dollars for direct lines of data from the credit card companies.

A lot of attention in the press is given to Google et. al. about purchase profiling and tracking for ads. But the concept of purchase profiling has existed really since the invention of the credit card. As others have mentioned hedge funds have brokered this data for decades - but for some reason it has not been covered as excruciatingly as it has for tech companies. While I disapprove of the practice overall I would…